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Is veterinary medicine what you expected?
Started by Boophilus
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I assume you are talking about vet school.... not sure I can really comment on vet med in general any differently yet.
But, the amount of meaningless memorization, regurgitation, and forgetting is shocking.
The variety of cases I see at the hospital here is amazing compared to what I saw shadowing at a private clinic. Of course, we are a referral hospital so don't see as much normal day to day stuff.
This week in 2 partial days at the small animal clinic I saw:
*Dachshund with mastitis
*Pug with cauda equina syndrome
*Abyssinian with severe anemia due to PK deficiency (PCV was 5)
*DSH with Osmotic fragility
*DSH with eye ulcers due to steroid overuse
*DSH with radial agenesis
*GSH with prostatitis and looking to have its sperm frozen
plus a bunch of run of the mill stuff as well.
But, the amount of meaningless memorization, regurgitation, and forgetting is shocking.
The variety of cases I see at the hospital here is amazing compared to what I saw shadowing at a private clinic. Of course, we are a referral hospital so don't see as much normal day to day stuff.
This week in 2 partial days at the small animal clinic I saw:
*Dachshund with mastitis
*Pug with cauda equina syndrome
*Abyssinian with severe anemia due to PK deficiency (PCV was 5)
*DSH with Osmotic fragility
*DSH with eye ulcers due to steroid overuse
*DSH with radial agenesis
*GSH with prostatitis and looking to have its sperm frozen
plus a bunch of run of the mill stuff as well.
I did not expect how hard vet school would be. The material itself isn't difficult but the overwhelming amount of information that we're supposed to learn and retain is astonishing. Part of that is how the curriculum is structured here (terms instead of semesters, so we take 8 courses simultaneously year-round). I was used to a semester schedule and taking max 5-6 courses at a time in undergrad. Spending literally 8 h in class per day was a huge shocker and so was having a test every week (in undergrad I had 1, maybe 2 midterms, and then a final for most science courses).
Anatomy excites me though and so does the prospect of performing surgeries.
Anatomy excites me though and so does the prospect of performing surgeries.
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what has excited me the most is how much I truly like doing things I thought I would hate. I am really enjoying my farm animal classes and large animal experience. It's like falling in love with something I already knew I loved, but finding a whole new side that is exciting and new. We'll see how this romance plays out over the next few years, but I am really enjoying the ride right now.
The amount of material does not allow for me to study like I did in undergrad and I have had to adapt. It was disappointing at first, but I think it is important for all people to evolve, and that's what's had to happen here.
The amount of material does not allow for me to study like I did in undergrad and I have had to adapt. It was disappointing at first, but I think it is important for all people to evolve, and that's what's had to happen here.
Ha. You say that now, but what until you get to clinics. There is a lot of stuff I wrote off as "meaningless" the first three years that I only wish I could remember now.
Well I mean, a lot of it is still meaningless as far as day to day general practice goes - clinics is still "school" remember.
I'm not even starting my freshman year of undergrad until a few weeks, but I would like to say:
In large animal medicine, I have seen, working with my own livestock and working with numerous vets, some of the most exciting and interesting things, and I wonder how many of these cases I will actually even get to see in vet school. Large animal practice, especially ambulatory, might be one of the most fascinating areas of the field, at least in general practice.
It's worth every bit of sleep lost and all the work, for sure, in my opinion.
That's not to say that small isn't just as interesting, but I think many of the tougher cases get referred and you never see them.
If mastitis is your thing, you should've been at my place a few weeks ago- one of my ewes had acute mastitis in a half, and I had to strip her out, massage, and use hot compresses every hour, including throughout the night, for two weeks. She recovered beautifully, but I got strep throat from accidentally getting a squirt of the infected milk in my mouth.
I highly doubt that I will be considering too much of the information meaningless. Meaningless is having to take trig in college when you'll probably never use it as a vet. If you have, please tell me!
Good luck to all who are in and I hope you're having the time of your lives. I am looking forward to applying when it's time.
In large animal medicine, I have seen, working with my own livestock and working with numerous vets, some of the most exciting and interesting things, and I wonder how many of these cases I will actually even get to see in vet school. Large animal practice, especially ambulatory, might be one of the most fascinating areas of the field, at least in general practice.
It's worth every bit of sleep lost and all the work, for sure, in my opinion.
That's not to say that small isn't just as interesting, but I think many of the tougher cases get referred and you never see them.
If mastitis is your thing, you should've been at my place a few weeks ago- one of my ewes had acute mastitis in a half, and I had to strip her out, massage, and use hot compresses every hour, including throughout the night, for two weeks. She recovered beautifully, but I got strep throat from accidentally getting a squirt of the infected milk in my mouth.
I highly doubt that I will be considering too much of the information meaningless. Meaningless is having to take trig in college when you'll probably never use it as a vet. If you have, please tell me!
Good luck to all who are in and I hope you're having the time of your lives. I am looking forward to applying when it's time.
Doing measurements on the equine foot when your checking to see if there is sinking and/or rotation of p3. Its pretty basic, but still trig.
Calculus is integral (lmao I slay myself) to really understanding pharmacology, for one! (you can get by without it but then it will just feel like memorizing meaningless crap instead of understanding)
I remember my calculus instructor (who was a big hefty man at 6'3" and probably weighed 300 lbs) always YELLED when he lectured (that's just how he talked) - in addition to cussing within practically every sentence.
I remember the day he was yelling at us that we need to understand limits to understand how drugs work in the body and for metabolism. still remember that lecture very well. oh freshman year ....
I remember the day he was yelling at us that we need to understand limits to understand how drugs work in the body and for metabolism. still remember that lecture very well. oh freshman year ....
Wait...WHAT! I will need to not only remember, but to have actually understood trig and calculus?! I'm f***ed then. Way to ruin my summer, thanks y'all 😱
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Seriously, it's not that hard. It's super simple stuff. Don't worry about it.
Sure hope so, I haven't had a math class since my freshman year of college, if you don't count physics and gen chem.
lol you guys will be fine. it just reminds me of when I tried to tutor for algebra based physics and it was super hard for me to try to explain ways to retain the material without calculus. Most vet students are well practiced enough at memorizing BS that they just memorize and be done with it, which is enough to get by. I'm *horrible* at memorization so for me, it's advantageous to understand the concepts mathematically, that's all.
Oh, okay I feel better. I'm awesome at random BS memorization
But I have never better understood a single thing from mathematical concepts. Math is my kryptonite.
Hate you. Hate you. Hate you.Oh, okay I feel better. I'm awesome at random BS memorization
But I have never better understood a single thing from mathematical concepts. Math is my kryptonite.
You memorizers make my life a living misery.
Concepts rule!
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